One Hundred Upon a Time
by Ruphira
Summary: Her fairytale never started the way she thought it would, and you might just find that she isn't as shallow as she seems. A response to HarvestMoonAddict's 100 Theme Challenge: Eliza!
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

A blonde blue-eyed beauty, dainty in her smallness and, she believed—or hoped, with all her heart—destined someday for greatness. Preferably royalty.

She thought her life was ending when they moved away from the shady forest glen and shuffled onboard the cold, haggard ferry in the misty break of dawn. What was there to look forward to on some remote, uncivilized island? What did it have that the shady forest glen she so loved hadn't?

She knew the answer lied not in what the island had, but rather what it didn't have: memories. Gannon hated them; Eliza loved them.


	2. River

**A/N: Wow. Thanks for all the interest for the first drabble! It's probably pretty obvious but I've never written drabbles before, so yeah. xD Hope you enjoy!**

**I don't own aaaannnyyyytttthhhiiiiinnnggg about Harvest-Moon, mmkay?**

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><p><strong>River<strong>

There was a river by the shady glen. A river ran here too, churning and bubbling and full of darting silvery fish, scales flashing in the sun. It wasn't like the quiet river by the glen that turned the waterwheel in spring with the melting snow's runoff. Her mother once baked bread with the flour it ground.

And sometimes, Eliza would pretend to fall in and splash around, yelling for her father to come rescue her. He knew she could swim—he just couldn't stop himself. She wondered if he still would.

A different boy came to her rescue that day.


	3. Farm

Eliza groaned overdramatically as she hauled the wagon of chopped lumber behind her, following the cobblestone path to Chelsea's farm. Her father had thrown out his back earlier that day, and it was now her job to deliver the order.

"Hey! Hey, Liz! Wait up!"

She gritted her teeth in annoyance as her caller caught up and slowed to walk beside her, grinning. "Don't call me _Liz_," she told him pointedly. "It's _Eliza_. El-eye-zuh."

Charlie rolled his eyes and adjusted his large parcel. "You heading to the farm?"

"Yes."

"Cool, me too! I have to deliver Chelsea's new hammer."

_Great_.


	4. Warmth

"We made some extra hot chocolate, Eliza! Do you want some?"

The little blonde girl blinked in surprise at the rosy-cheeked, grinning boy standing in her doorway, offering her a steaming mug. Finally she remembered to nod and stepped aside to let him in. "Uh…okay."

Charlie followed her to the kitchen table, where they sat and slurped their cocoa in awkward silence. It was weird, for Eliza—nobody else had been in her home except herself and Gannon for so long.

"Wanna play in the snow later?"

That was something…_friends _did, and this spreading warmth wasn't from the mug. "Okay."


	5. Clouds

"Um…what is it?"

Eliza looked warily at the light pink puff that Charlie held out to her before slowly accepting it. It reminded her of a cloud in the sunset, like pink fog.

His eyes widened at her confusion. "What? You mean you've never had cotton candy before?"

"This is _food?_" Eliza demanded. She poked it with a finger and frowned as it stuck. "Eew, it's sticky! It's going to get all over my dress!"

Charlie just laughed at her before stuffing a handful of the fluff in his mouth. Eliza watched, entranced, before cautiously following suit.

Clouds were delicious.


	6. Bells

Bells were cheerful things! They ring when people get married, when wars are over, when class ends. (Not that Eliza had ever been to a real "class", but she knew what they were about! She wasn't _stupid_.) Bells meant Christmas, meant sunny days at the dock, meant angels getting wings.

One day, she learned that bells could also be sad. Low, deep, full tones ringing somberly from a steeple, indicating that someone dear had left this world. Eliza doubted angels got wings from _those _kinds of bells, no matter what her mother used to tell her.

Bells were depressing things.


	7. Love

"I love the rain!" Charlie shouted to the sky, face turned upwards, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"I love flowers," Eliza grumbled, shivering under the canopy where she stood back and watched. "_Dry _ones."

"I love dancing," Charlie continued, tromping carelessly through puddles in what Eliza _wouldn't_ consider a dance.

"I love staying warm!"

"I love snow and rice and my dad and this island!"

"I love snow _cones _and rice _cakes _and my dad and my old house," the blonde grumbled, before gasping as cool fingers gripped her arm and pulled her into the rain.

Love was many things.


	8. Cold

**A/N: Thanks to Penny ToughGirl for the lovely reviews :D and to all the favourites & alerts; glad people are enjoying ^^**

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><p>"Brrrr," Charlie mumbled, his teeth chattering. "A-Aren't you c-c-c-cold?"<p>

Eliza stared down at her boots in the snow and thought about it. What was cold? She'd asked her father once, and he'd described it as "the absence of warmth", because "cold", like the shade of black, couldn't exist by itself. Black was the absence of light.

Or…something.

But true cold, to Eliza, was numbness. Unfeeling. She'd only been truly cold once, and nothing since had ever come close.

"Not really," she finally answered. She could still feel her toes and her fingers, and…her heart. There was still warmth, still light.


	9. Coffee

"Hey, Pa, can I try some?" Eliza asked, standing on her tiptoes to poke at the mug on the table.

Gannon glanced over at her over his newspaper. "Nope."

"Whhhyyyyyyyyy?" she whined. "All the grown-ups drink it…."

"It's a grown-up drink."

"I'm a grown-up!" his daughter protested. The burly man just laughed, folded up his newspaper, and headed for the front room. Before leaving, he paused and added,

"Don't drink any."

Well, Eliza was a grown-up and didn't have to listen to him! She tugged the steaming mug over to herself, crandled it in her hands, sipped…

…spat it out!

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><p><strong>AN: Yuck, I hate coffee! xD**


	10. Gift

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone who's taking the time to review, favourite/alert. Means a lot! I hope I don't disappoint! :D**

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><p>"<em>What do you think?"<em>

_Eliza stared, transfixed, at her reflection in the curved, slightly tarnished mirror of her mother's. The red ribbon rested proudly throned in her hair, like a crown of satin. "It's so pretty, Mommy!"_

"_Not as pretty as you," her mother replied, snuggling her close. She smelled of evergreens and soap, of the sky. Eliza touched a strand of spun-gold hair longingly._

"_I'm not as pretty as you, Mommy."_

"_Oh, my baby," sighed the woman. "You are so much more beautiful, angel. Always remember that."_

That was the long answer. The short one? "My mommy made it."

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><p><strong>The ribbon, she means. Not sure how clear that is. :)<strong>


	11. Fire

Biting her lip, Eliza carefully held the burning wick of one candle to another and watched as the flame caught. "Here, Daddy. Your candle."

"Thank ya, darlin'." Gannon sat back in his armchair and slowly placed the lit candle on the table beside him. "Funny things, power outages. Never realize how much ya need somethin' till it's gone, ey?"

Instinctively, her hand went to her ribbon as she settled on the rug in front of him. "Mhmm…"

They could survive without electricity, though. By the light of the dancing candles, they cuddled and told old stories late into the night.


	12. Marriage

"Do we have toooo? I wanna play Aliens…!"

Chelsea cleared her throat loudly, taking her role as priest very seriously while Eliza—wearing a long white sheet as a gown—glared down the boy across from her.

"Shhh! This is our WEDDING!"

"But—"

"Do you take Eliza to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Chelsea interrupted, frowning down at Charlie, who squirmed.

"Noooo—"

"Psst! Say '_I do_'!" Eliza hissed. Charlie pouted.

"But I want—"

"SAY IT!"

The little boy sighed heavily. "I do…Wait, how long does this last?"

"_Forever_! Eliza, do you take Charlie to be—"

"YES!"


	13. Death

**A/N: Blargh, a few kind of serious ones. I hope I don't scare anyone away; I dooo prefer the happy ones, but...xD MORE SOON!**

**Thanks again SO MUCH for the lovely reviews and support! Great hearing from you. ^^**

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><p>After It happened, she saw death everywhere.<p>

Felt it; true cold.

It was like eternal winter. She noticed wilting flowers and trees that failed to take root; she wouldn't eat the meat on her plate for weeks.

It had been alive, once, after all. And it shouldn't have died. Not for her.

Other things, too. Dreams died with her mother, as did hopes and—for awhile—happiness. The purpose and meaning of everyday tasks died.

Why bother cleaning the window? There was nothing to see anyway.

Floors didn't need to be swept.

And then, one day Gannon said: "We're moving."


	14. Look Alike

"_Whoa there, little lady! Growing up awful quick ain't ya?"_

_Eliza beamed up at the tall woodcutter, a friend of her father's. "Yup!"_

_He knelt down to casually tousle her hair, a windblown tumble of sunshiney golden curls. "By the Goddess, coulda easily mistaken you for your mum! Yessirree, you're her spitting image, lass."_

_She frowned in distaste. "Spitting?" Spitting was unladylike and Mommy told her not to._

_The man laughed and straightened again. "Figure'a speech, little lady. Goddess knows you would never spit. You do your mum proud now, don't you, Maysie Junior?"_

_Eliza smiled her widest. "I try!" _


	15. Apple

Arrow, Chelsea's prized stallion, stood tall and proud by the farm's white picket fence. Eliza approached cautiously, clambering slowly up to sit on the second-highest slat. She held out her hand—flat-palmed, like Chelsea had shown her—for Arrow to lip.

He completely ignored her. Like _always._

Feeling a pout beginning to form, she sadly slipped down off the fence and turned to go. _Maybe tomorrow…_

"Hey, Eliza. Want me to show you a trick?"

She looked up to see the farmer smiling down at her. "Um, sure."

"Try this."

Apple in hand, Eliza returned—and became Arrow's closest friend.


	16. Life!

It took time, but Eliza gradually started seeing life again. Flowers blooming, trees towering above her, baby animals born—and warmth. A purpose for things.

"Hey, Eliza! I brought more hot chocolate! Want to share?"

The little blonde girl beamed back at the dark-haired boy and opened her door to reveal her freshly-swept kitchen. "Sure, Charlie. Come in!"

"Thanks! Here, I brought you some new mittens from the store too." His lively eyes flashed happily as she squealed in delight at her gift—they matched her winter outfit, after all.

Actually…it took more than time. It took a friend, too.


	17. Night

**Thanks for the lovely reviews and favourites, means a lot! And sorry about the wait. :)**

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><p>"Psst. Hey! Eliza! Over here!"<p>

Scowling, the blonde picked her way over the dewy grass to where she thought Charlie was—it was hard to tell in the night's blackness. "This better be good! I'm tired and my dress is wet!" He didn't reply, and she froze mid-step.

Lost.

"Charlie? Charlie, where are—"

A hand snaked out of nowhere, and she screamed as it grabbed her wrist. "Shh! I'm right here. Sit down." He pulled her to the wet grass beside him. _Thud! _"Watch."

And then, the summer night was alight with a thousand tiny glowing, glittering orbs. "_Fireflies!"_


	18. Children

**Just a silly conversation they might have in the future, pertaining to drabble 12!**

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><p><em>(Both about 14 years old)<em>

"I hate painting the shop," Charlie sighed, tearing a blade of grass down the middle as he sat with Eliza. "When I have kids, they are _definitely _always doing it."

"I'm never making my kids do any chores," she mumbled back, staring at the sky.

"Then who will?" he asked curiously. "You?"

"Nope! My husband!"

"Pfftt…remind me never to marry you!"

A gleeful smile split her face, and soon she was cackling evilly. "Wahaha….you already diiiid!"

Charlie shot forward. "What..? Nooo! _You still remember that?"_

"Mhhmmmm," the blonde returned smugly, batting her eyelashes.

"I want a divorce!"

"NO SUPPER FOR YOU!"


	19. Sun

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…" her mother sang softly, her thin voice straining to sound strong.

"You make me happy when skies are grey," Gannon added, lending his rough, gravelly voice to support his wife's.

"You'll never know, dear, how much I love you…" Maisy continued, drawing Eliza close to her face to rub noses.

_Please don't take my sunshine away. _

Eliza never thought of this song on sunny days—only the cloudy ones. They reminded her that her sunshine was gone. Her father once told her she'd find "different sunshine".

But what was that supposed to mean?


	20. Beach

**A/N: I'm not sure what's going on with the counter... they were all 100 words when I was typing them up, and now some of them are 101 or 99.. -shrug- I tried.**

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><p>It had been nearly evening. The sun was setting in a molten crescendo of russet gold and pink over the sea. Charlie was off gathering seaweed by the shore and Chelsea stood before her, the day's catch slung over her shoulder in a woven basket.<p>

"Someday, I'm going to come here with a nice boy," Eliza had said, smiling contentedly at the future she foresaw. A prince, she a princess, a faraway castle, the fairytale ending. The happily ever after.

Chelsea frowned, perplexed. "Didn't you come here today with a nice boy?"

"Huh? No, that's just Charlie."

Overhearing, Charlie smiled bravely.

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><p><strong>There is also an amazing piece on ElizaxCharlie at the beach by Arynna that you should all check out. It's called <span>Her Almost Fairytale<span> and it's exquisite. I still need to get around to reviewing and favouriting it..**


	21. Harvest Festival

"There does not appear to be any fungus among-us!" Charlie joked sadly. He and Eliza sat beneath a tree in the forest west of West Town, where they'd spent the morning hunting for truffles to donate to the Harvest Festival stew.

"And I think we're getting close to the Witch's house," Eliza murmured, itching an insect bite. "What if she curses us?"

"That only happens in fairy tales. Hey, wait, is _that _a truffle?" The dark-eyed boy pointed to the pale stalk of a white toadstool hidden beneath a bush.

Eliza leapt up excitedly. "_Yes!"_

The Witch loved her job.


	22. Afraid

There was good scary, and bad scary. They felt different; the way your heart would pound or skip beats, the way dread might settle in the pit of your stomach. Bad scary was a phone call from a hospital or a surprise absence; a five year-old watching _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_. It was switching to a new school away from anyone you knew.

Good scary was going off to college, getting married, proceeding into the unknown with your head held high. A fourteen-year-old girl getting her first kiss.

She sat on her bed and pondered. Was this her fairytale after all?


	23. Hate

"What happened with you and Denny?"

Chelsea gave a loud sniff that turned into a sigh and poured Eliza some tea. "There was just too much, too soon. We both wanted different things. There's someone better for him."

Eliza paused, thoughtful. "Do you hate boys sometimes?"

Chelsea blinked. "Some of my best friends are boys. Why would I hate boys?"

"Because they always make you so miserable but you can't have a happily ever after without them."

"You can't place the blame for that on anyone else, Liza. You're responsible for your own happiness, okay?"

Eliza just needed a prince.


	24. Birth

"Can I help? _Pleeeeaaaaase?"_

"I don't know, Eliza... births are a very messy and difficult event. Maybe you should sit this one out."

"Please! I wanna see Meg's baby!"

Chelsea obviously didn't have time to argue. "Fine, come on, into the barn, put some gloves on." Gleefully, Eliza rushed in. Nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to witness.

An extremely attractive blond man knelt near Meg's tail, massaging the cow's foamy hindquarters. He looked up at Chelsea. "I think it's stuck." In went his hand, out came a hoof.

Eliza felt herself gagging and ran.


End file.
